Interchangeable record strip control



Aug. 9, 1932. w. D. cAToN INTERCHANGEABLE RECORD STRIP CONTROL FiledAug. 5, 1931 2 Sheets-5heet "l 2o /ff A TTORNEYS.

iig. 9, 1932.

W. D. CTON INTERCHANGEABLE RECORD STRIP CONTROL Filed Aug. 5, 1931 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. W/LL/A/vl D. CA-ro/v,

M, @W f ATTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNT@ WILLIAM D. SATON, OF

PATENT OFFQE ELM'IRA, NEVI YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SALES BOOKCOLJIPANY, LlvTED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION OF ON'LARO, CANADAINTERCI-IANGEABLE RECORD STRIP CONTROL Application filed August 5, 1931.

This invention relates to improvements in manfolding devices and withreference to special featnres thereof, it relates more particularly toimprovements in record controlling devices for aligning positioning andmaintaining the records in correct position during the entry ofinscriptions.

lt is a general object of the invention to provide for manifoldingdevices an improved record controlling arrangement which is specially`adapted and applicable to manifolding devices ofthe portable type, beingsimple in structure, light, and compact, for application to autographicregisters, portable billing machines, and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide for manifolding devicesof the class mentioned an improved record controlling mechanisms forpositioning and. keeping the which the controlling mechanism is veryreadily and easily interchangeable with another similar mechanism, butarranged for the accommodation of record strips of different lengthsand/ or widths.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a manifolding devicehaving an improved record controlling mechanism which is simple and welladapted for application to portable devices and arranged so as toeffectively control. composite records including continuous travelerrecord strips with interleaved continuous traveler transfer or carbonstrips, this type of composite record being especially advantageous foruse with portable manifolding devices because the necessity of providingspecial supporting means for the carbon sheets is eliminated.

According to another feature of the invention, a set of interchangeablerecord control units is provided` the set including several controlunits and the control elements of each unit being arranged in a simpleand compact manner and of uniform arrangement but differentlyproportioned for the control of records or record strips havingdifferent form lengths or different widths or having both dierent formlengths and widths.

Other objects and features of the invention will be in part pointed outin the following records in place during` inscription and inA Serial No.555,257.

detailed disclosure of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of theinvention and will be in part obvious in connection therewith.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction here-- inafter set forth and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the claims.

Fora more complete understanding of the nature and objects of theinvention, reference is had to the following detailed description and tothe accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig; l is a central, longitudinal, vertical section of a manifoldingdevice of the portable type embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view with the combined cover plate and platen removed,and

Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views of record controlling' platen plates.

lVhile the invention may be embodied in different types of recordingdevices it is herein disclosed as applied to a portable manifoldingdevice of the autographic register type for which it is well adapted. Asshown in the allustrative embodiment of the drawings the portableautographic register includes a casing 6 having bottom, side, end andtop walls preferably7 of some light, stout material`A such for example,as wood, metal, fibre board, or the like. This casing is provided withan interior compartment in which may be housed and supported the recordsupply A preferably in the form of a zigzag folded record.

The record preferred for this use may be of a known form, that shownembodying a pluralityT of record strips S of the long continuoustraveller type arranged in superposed manifolding relation with eachother and divided at longitudinal intervals into record leaves ortickets by transverse weakened or perforated lines S. Each record leafor ticket may be as shown provided with a blanl; form S2 and also withcontrolling apertures S8. These controlling apertures S3 are thusarrange-d, in the embodiment shown, in two longitudinal series along therecord CIJ strips S, one aperture of each series being positioned towardthe forward end of each of the form leaves.

Although the transfer or carbon strip for transferring the inscriptions,may be supported in any preferred known manner, it is desirable that atransfer strip C of the long continuous traveller type be employed andinterleaved in transfer relation with the record strips S as shown. Thetransfer strip C will thus also preferably be provided with weakenedtransverse lines substantially coincident with the severance lines S1 ofthe record strips. As shown it is preferred that this assembly of recordand transfer strips be zigzag folded upon the weakened sever ance lines.As many record strips with interleaved transfer strips may thus beassembled as desired for the particular work in hand.

Overlying the supply compartment is the cover plate 7 forming a flatplaten upon which the assembly of record strips is supported while beinginscribed. This platen plate may also be of some light strong materialand may as shown be inclined slightly upwardly from its rear and towardits forward end to provide an upwardly inclined writing surface. Towardthe rear end thereof the platen plate 7 is formed with an exit slot 8extending transversely thereof through which the record assembly emergesfrom the supply compartment into writing position. Contiguous to thisslot and forwardly thereof is a transverse checking edge 9 which may beformed integral with the plate 7 as shown. This checking edge ispreferably quite sharp extending partially or entirely across therecord, and may as shown form an acute angle so to engage intimatelywith the weakened fold lines of the record assembly.

Positioned adi acent to the checking edge 9 and preferably slightlyforwardly thereof is the record guide or bar 10 spaced slightly abovethe surface of the platen plate 7 whereby the record assembly may passtherebeneath and be guided and retained in its correct position.

Toward the forward end of the platen plate 7 record supporting andcontrollingl pins 11 are provided being preferably mounted upon theplaten plate and extending upwardly a short distance therefrom andterminating in free upper ends. These controlling pins are spaced apartlaterally corresponding with the lateral spacing of the apertures S3 soas to enter the latter as shown. in Figs. 1 and 3. Immediately to therearward of the controlling pins 11 and spaced slightly therefrom is arecord guiding and retaining bar 12. The retaining bar 12 is also spacedslightly above the platen surface and the record assembly is enteredthereunder as shown in 1. The upper free ends of the controlling pinsare preferably as shown slightly above the adjacent retaining bar 12 inthe path of the record strips. By means of this relation it will beobserved that the bar 12 will function to retain the record strips inengagement with the pins 11, but this engagement may be readily releasedby bending the forward ends of the record assembly slightly upwardlywhereupon said assembly may be readily moved forwardly.

Also it will be noticed that the end walls 13 of the passageway or slot8 function as guides for the adjacent edges of the record assembly tokeep the record and transfer strips in lateral alignment, while thesupporting posts 14 for the retaining bar 12 similarly function tolaterally align the record at forward parts thereof.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 supportingr lugs or pins 15 are mountedupon the casing 6 extending upwardly therefrom into the.

plane. of the platen plate 7. Said platen plate is formed with apertures16 spaced and proportioned the same as the supporting pins 15 wherebysaid pins may enter in cooperating relation into the apertures so as toposition the cover plate or platen in operative position upon the top ofthe casing. There are preferably two such pins with correspondingapertures at each side of the casing so as to hold the cover platefirmly in position. By means of this arrangement a cover plate may bereadily placed in position or removed so that another may besubstituted. The pins 15 and apertures 16 provide cooperating lugs forcorrectly positioning any one of the platen plates and maintaining itthere during the writing operations.

Grip openings or passageways 17 and 1S are preferably provided in thecover plate 7 and forward end wall of the casing whereby the forwardends of the record may be gripped and lifted from engagement with thealigning pins 11 thus pulled forwardly to bring the next succeeding setof record leaves into writing position. These apertures as shown arearranged in alignment with each other affording ample room for graspingthe ends of the record.

For retaining the record supply A in correct position in the supplycompartment with reference to the exit passageway 8 and to the recordcontrolling detent or checking edge 9, a record retaining device isprovided. This record retainer is preferably adjustable for theaccommodation of record supplies of dif- .ferent sizes. For this purposea retainer 19 is shown in the form of a removable plate extendingtransversely of the supply compartment and havinar its opposite endsseaied in retaining grooves .20 formed in the casing walls. A pluralityof these grooves are provided whereby the retainer 1.9 may be shiftedfrom one pair of smriporting grooves to another thus enabling records ofdifferent sizes to be utilized and retained always in correct positionwithin the supply compartment. Therefore the record assembly emergingthrough the slot 8 from the compartment will always be maintained incorrect relative position to the controlling detent 9 whereby mostsatisfactory control of the record is maintained.

The front edge of the platen plate 7 is positioned at a definitedistance forwardly of the record controlling pins ll and is preferablyprovided with a. sharp corner to form a tearing edge 2l. This edge willthus normally be positioned to align substantially' with the weakenedseverance lines of the record when the pins are in engagement with therecord apertures. rllhe pins ll thus provide a support for the recordduring severance of the latter upon the tearing edge 2l.

Referring to Figs. 3 and t it will be noted that two platen plates orcovers 7 and 7a are shown, similar in construction to each other andeach provided with the record control elements as above described forthe cover 7. Since these record control elements are the same for bothcovers they are designated by the same reference numerals and thedescription above for cover 7 will suthce also for cover 7a. W'hile theapertures or lugs 16 are similarly arranged and similarly spaced in bothcovers, the longitudinal spacing between the forward pins l1 and therear checking edge 9 is dierent in each cover. Also if desired thelengths of the passageways or slots 8 may be different in the diderentcovers for the accommodation of records of dif` ferent widths. Similarlythe spacing of the record guide posts lll of the retaining bar l2 may bedifferent for the different covers.

t will therefore be seen that each of the record control devices orcover plates is provided with both rearwardly and forwardly disposedrecord controlling means embodying the checking edge or detent 9 and theaperture engaging pins ll. uhile Vthese control elements are similarlyarranged in both of the covers, their controlling dimensions aredifferently proportioned and the controlling parts are differentlyspaced in the different covers for the accommodation of different sizesof records, having different widths and diderent lengths of form sheets.Yet each of the covers is proportioned and constructed to iit in thesame manner upon the casing 6 of the register and to be held inoperative position thereupon by means of the cooperating lugs l5 and 16.

For convenience in description, the end of the register and cover plateoccupied by the control pins ll, is herein referred to as the forwardend while the rearward part is that occupied b y the det-ent or checkingedge 9. The records thus move from the rearward toward the forward endof the apparatus.

The two record control plates 7 and 7a disclosed may be regarded as aset, although a larger number of controlling plates may be supplied ifdesired to constitute the set. However, each control plate or element ofthe set will be similarly constructed for application to the sameregister casing but the controlline` elements will be differentlyproportioned as described for the accommodation and control of recordsof different sizes. The record controlling tops or platens are thusinterchangeable upon the register casing and one may be readilysubstituted for another as desired. The appropriate control cover forthe record being used will be selected from the set of covers and placedin operative position.

lt will now be seen that the record is held in writing position at oneend of the platen by means of the controlling pins l1, and at theopposite end thereof it is engaged at the transverse weakened fold linesS by the transverse checking edge or detent 9. Then the record is fedfrom the storage compartment the detent 9 engages with the weakened foldlines S thus checking record strip advancement at about the time thatthe record apertures S3 come into engagement with the pins 1l. In thismanner the record will be retained in correct, smoothed, aligned,writing position upon the platen by means of the rearward and forwardcontrolling elements 9 and ll. As the records emerge through thepassageway 8 from the storage compartment they will be caused to arch orturn quite sharply about the detent 9; this arching relation will bemaintained for the different sizes of record by means of the adjustablesupply retainers 19 and also by the guiding plate l0. By virtue of thisarrangement the bend or arch in the record will be broken or caused tofold sharply when the weakened fold line reaches approximate registerwith the checking edge 9. This action provides an abrupt fold or hingein the record, functioning to check or restrain the forward movement ofthe record. It is at this point that the pins ll align with the recordapertures, entering the latter so as to maintain the record in itscorrect writing position.

After entry of the inscriptions the forward ends of the record may belifted as above described and a lirm forward pull thereon releases theengagement of the fold with the detent 9 whereupon the record may bemoved forwardly to bring the next set of record leaves into writingposition. The inscribed forms may then be severed upon the tearing edge.lf interleaved carbon sheets are used the severed carbon sheets may beseparated or stripped from the severed record sheets. For this strippingof the severed sheets the record may be formed in any known manner tofacilitate this operation.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction anddifferent embodiments of the invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in theabove description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby said Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a manifolding record device having a recordsupply storage compartment, of a detachable plate platen having thereonlongitudinally spaced record controlling elements, and supporting lugspositioned in mutually co-operative relation between the platen and thebody of the manifolding device and arranged for co-operation forsupporting and positioning the platen for operation whereby said platenmay be readily removed and replaced by a similar platen.

2. The combination with a manifolding record device having a recordsupply storage compartment, of a detachable cover plate for the recorddevice providing a platen therefor, said platen having thereonlongitudinally spaced record controlling elements, and supporting lugspositioned in mutually co-operating relation between the platen and thebody of the manifolding device for co-operation to position and supportsaid platen for operation and for removal thereof and replacement by asimilar platen, said record controlling elements including at least oneforwardly disposed record controlling pinv positioned for engagementwith apertures in the record, and said cover plate being provided with arecord tearing edge spaced a predetermined distance forwardly of saidpin so as to substantially align with weakened severance lines of therecord when the latter is restrained by engagement of said pin.

3. The combination with a manifolding record device having a recordsupply storage compartment, of a detachable plate platen having thereonlongitudinally spaced record controlling elements, and supporting lugspositioned in mutually co-operative relation between the platen and thebody of the manifolding device and arranged for co-operation forsupporting and positioning the platen for operation whereby said platenmay be readily removed and replaced by a similar platen, said platenhaving at parts thereof forwardly of said forward record controllingelement. a record grip aperture, and said record device having also aforward wall provided with a record grip aperture merging with saidfirst mentioned aperture.

4. A unitary combined cover and platen for manifolding devicesincluding, in combination, a record engaging pin. mounted upon the coverforwardly thereof, a transverse record checking edge formed on the coverrearwardly thereof, a transverse record retaining bar mounted upon thecover adjacent but spaced rearwardly from said pin, a transverse recordguide on the cover positioned adjacent but slightly forwardly of saidchecking edge, and retaining lugs formed upon the cover at spaced partsthereof, whereby the cover may be readily removed from operativeposition and another cover substituted therefor.

5. The combination with a manifolding record device having a recordsupply storage compartment, of a detachable cover plate for the recorddevice providing a platen thereof, said platen having thereonlongitudinally spaced record controlling elements, and supporting lugspositioned in mutually co-operating relation between the platen and thebody of the manifolding device for co-operation to position and supportsaid platen for operation and for removal thereof and replacement by asimilar platen, said record controlling elements including at least oneforwardly disposed record controlling pin positioned for engagement withapertures in the record, and longitudinally spaced, transverselydisposed record engaging checking edge positioned rearwardly of saidcover plate for engagement with weakened lines of the record forchecking thereof, said cover plate being formed with a slot throughwhich the record emerges from the storage compartment to the platen andwhich is contiguous to said checking edge, and a record supply retainingdevice mounted in the supply compartment for movement into different retaining positions for retaining said supply in its compartment at alltimes forwardly of said checking edge, whereby the record controllingfunction is intact, with covers designed for different sizes of recordforms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WILLIAM D. CATON.

